Publisher's Summary

How do deviants reconcile their behavior with society's norms? This set of 10 lectures examines the complex topic of deviance and how major sociological theories have attempted to define it and understand its role in both historical and modern society. Professor Wolpe introduces deviance as "a complex, often ambiguous, social phenomenon that raises numerous questions about how a varied and often arbitrary set of characteristics can be used to name the same idea."

Intended for those with some understanding of sociology, these lectures trace Western theories of deviance from classical demonism to constructionism. Along the way, you'll get a chance to investigate a range of fascinating, thought-provoking, and sometimes even frightening topics and issues.

You'll discover the relationship between deviance and criminology, and come to terms with three major sociological perspectives on deviance in human society. You'll explore the concept of demonism, with divides the world into good and evil, and see how it's often been used to explain and categorize bad behavior when no other explanations are available. You'll learn about the influence of science on sociological thought as proposed by a range of important thinkers, as well as the impact of this science on everything from the IQ controversy to the eugenics movement to Social Darwinism.

Professor Wolpe has crafted an engaging series of discussions that are sure to have you looking at the world around you (and the people in them) in a new way.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

Would you consider the audio edition of Explaining Social Deviance to be better than the print version?

Don't know

What was one of the most memorable moments of Explaining Social Deviance?

When it becomes clear that deviance is not necessarily a bad, or unusual thing

What about Professor Paul Root Wolpe’s performance did you like?

His intonation and narrative is interesting. If you enjoy learning about a somewhat dry topic he makes it interesting. I never was bored.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, it's got too much information in it. Need to digest slowly.

Any additional comments?

I never thought about deviance as he presents it. I listened to it to try and understand why some people are so evil. He doesn't really discuss this but presents theories of deviance from a social science perspective which I was unaware of.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Tom

Arvada, CO, United States

30/01/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"Great grounding for social deviance"

Would you consider the audio edition of Explaining Social Deviance to be better than the print version?

The added value of the audio version is the inflection of the professors voice giving you additional insight into what he is trying to communicate.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Explaining Social Deviance?

Control theory as roughly analogized to his daughter taking a lollipop off the store counter. Another memorable moment was the story about 'Monster'.

Which scene was your favorite?

The conversations about labeling in combination with differential association was the most interesting to me because I think it speaks to some of the violent behavior we see in schools these days.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I listened to each chapter during my commute which is about an hour each direction.

Any additional comments?

The format is structured like a college lecture, but the tone is conversational and very easy to listen to and enjoy.

10 of 11 people found this review helpful

Taylor Haswell

7/07/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Fascinating history. Specious logic."

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

This series should have been called Constructionist (or Learning Theory): A Debunking of Hard Science.

Paul Wolpe spends the first 5 hours (7 lectures) detailing the fascinating history of pseudo-scientific theory of phrenology before introducing the origin of modern Sociological theory.

These stories run parallel to numerous arguments on the fluid and arbitrary definition of "deviance" and what constitutes deviant behavior. This was precisely what I was hoping for from this lecture series.

And then everything changed. "Explaining Social Deviance" is not truly the crux of this course. Instead the title is merely an entry point for Wolpe to make broader, unrelated philosophical arguments.

By the 10th lecture Wolpe devolves into an unexpected (and fundamentally incorrect) deconstruction of "Hard Science," during which he tries to discredit the Theory of Evolution and the Scientific Method in general. He implies that the laboratory is unnatural (ie. the use of genetically modified lab mice and purified water not available anywhere on the planet) and therefore the tests and discoveries made therein are also unnatural.

To Wolpe, the tenets of mathematics and science are deceptive and dangerous: He doesn't care much for isolating variables, creating repeatable tests, and ensuring that his theories are falsifiable. Sadly, it is the neglect of these very tenets that leads to the creation of damaging pseudosciences, which he warned against at the opening of the series.

Wolpe's conclusions left me disappointed, disheartened, and reminded of Richard Feynman's wise words regarding Science: "The first principle is that you must not fool yourself – and you are the easiest person to fool."

Mr. Wolpe has fooled himself (and many, many others according to his academic credentials). I hope he does not fool you.

Would you ever listen to anything by The Great Courses again?

Absolutely. I have enjoyed 10 other Great Courses lectures and have many more awaiting in my queue.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

MsTurkish

Pittsburgh, PA United States

29/11/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Excellent content, though outdated"

The content in this lecture is fascinating and intriguing, leaving the learner with a desire to know more about social theories and was constitutes deviance as we define it.

The lecturer is an excellent speaker, however the content is outdated, referencing cultural events that occurred in the 1990's. I would love an updated addendum to this lecture.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Amazon Customer

6/07/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"An Unscientific History of Subjective Views"

What would have made Explaining Social Deviance better?

An empirical and evidence based analysis of deviant behavior applying the modern scientific study of neurology, psychiatry, genetics, and biology.

Would you recommend Explaining Social Deviance to your friends? Why or why not?

I would not recommend it to anyone seeking factual knowledge beyond a study of historical perspectives.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Wolpe adequately explains the historical thinking on social deviance leading up to the modern scientific perspective. He speaks clearly and articulately, and he conveys the material energetically and thoroughly.

Any additional comments?

These lectures convey the history of human thought on social deviance from a purely philosophical perspective. The course is not scientific, it misrepresents modern naturalistic concepts, and it fails to describe social deviance from a modern intellectual standpoint.

The course takes a chronological approach, discussing historical ideas on deviance from ancient times forward. The lecturer references philosophers and pre-science scholars from every period, such Hobbes, Descartes, Freud, and Marx. Each lecture adequately describes one kind of historical thinking on social deviance, building on any that came before. By the final three or so lectures, the listener has been given an overview of sociological thinking up to and including the turn of the 20th century.

The final three lectures attempt to explain modern views on social deviance, but it is clear that the lecturer lacks the background or understanding necessary to do so adequately. Fields such as behavioral genetics, neuroscience, modern psychology, science based medicine, and even the scientific method are completely ignored at best. At worst, they are improperly described, mischaracterized, and rejected. This leaves the listener with a shaky, half formed theory based on pure philosophy--unsupported by empirical evidence and mired by circular and fallacious reasoning. It places scientific, evidence-based ideas in the same category as creationism, parapsychology, and pseudoscience--in the lecturer's own words!

This course does not belong in any serious intellectual study of human behavior. Rather, it is a historical perspective on philosophies of human deviance.

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

Steve Scott

11/07/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"Should be updated and revised"

This lecture has many facts basic facts when it discuses biology, psychology, and philosophy. The performance is the most frustrating part. There is a consistent social laugh in the background that is so plastic it could not be matched by 30 of The Container Store's plastic surplus. It's depiction of deviance is enjoyable and informative in a cursory way though.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

V. Taras

27/08/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"Excellent theoretical guide"

Would you listen to Explaining Social Deviance again? Why?

I was hoping to learn some practical stuff from this book, but it turned out to be a typical "textbook" read: lots of theory, definitions, etc. Yes, it's a great and useful book, just not in a way I expected.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

larudneva

27/06/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"Very easy to follow and hard to put down!"

I am a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology and love The GreatCourses lectures. This one is definitely one of my favorites. It is so relevant and stretches critical thinking skills by presenting new ways to conceptualize behavior in society. The professor is animated and lively which makes this a completely easy read.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Slavescu

23/05/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"Disappointing ending"

It was like being given a delicious looking cake only to find out the last layer was made of manure.

If the last ten-fifteen minutes would be cut out, the book would be worth the Teaching Company endorsement.Right now the last part promotes ignorance and imbues it with the authority of a university level lecture.To say that we accept scientific theories solely based on what the top scientists happen to say is true, is disgusting! It undermines the entire scientific endeavor, putting any garbage hypothesis on par with data backed theories that have stood the test of time.By that logic we should accept that perhaps storks bringing babies is just another deviant alternative we don't take into consideration because scientific authorities told us it's deviant.

I'm bitterly disappointed by the ending and it ruined a perfectly good book.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Warren

2/12/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"It amazes me how much I'm enjoying it!"

Very good theoretical foundation and structure

Excellent narrative style.

I feel very well invested my time and money.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Sort by:

C

Hampshire, UK

15/06/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Thought provoking"

Found this course very interesting I only wish it had been updated for 2015 this is from 2004. A real shame.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Report Inappropriate Content

If you find this review inappropriate and think it should be removed from our site, let us know. This report will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.